Birds
Birds are designed for flight and they have feathers to help with flying. Birds also have beaks, wings, a heart with four chambers, are warm blooded and lay eggs.
There are just under 10,000 of known species of birds on planet Earth. They fly, they build nests, they lay eggs, many sing and many migrate thousands of miles every year.
Most birds build nests in which to lay their eggs and incubate their young. A nest can range from a shallow depression in the ground to a complex nest in tress or on cliffs, according to the bird species in question. Young birds know how to build their nests. Although they have never seen a nest built, they do not need adult birds to show then how to build one!
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Birds have some unique features that make it easier for them to fly. An inner eyelid protects the eyeball when they are flying. Feathers have certain features that are critical for flight, for example, they are hollow to keep the weight down.
Many bird species migrate thousands of miles every year. Young birds follow this migration routine instinctively and know when to go and where to fly to, without following an adult bird or having been given a map!
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